Racing Against AI-Powered Fraudsters: How Experian Stays Ahead

16/09/2025 27 min Episodio 62
Racing Against AI-Powered Fraudsters: How Experian Stays Ahead

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Episode Synopsis

OverviewMaribel Lopez interviews Kathleen Peters, Experian's Chief Innovation Officer, about AI's evolution in fraud detection, the shift to generative and agentic AI, and balancing innovation with security in financial services.Key TopicsAI Evolution at Experian15-year AI journey: Using machine learning for fraud detection long before generative AIDemocratization shift: Public LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude made AI accessible beyond data scientistsInnovation labs: 15-year-old team of PhDs and researchers finding insights in vast datasetsResponsible AI ImplementationRisk Council: Cross-functional team ensuring responsible AI adoptionSecurity-first approach: Enterprise tools with guardrails protecting sensitive credit dataCustom AI stack: Proprietary systems maintaining data privacy while leveraging AIAgentic AI ApplicationsEVA Experian Virtual Assistant (Consumer Assistant): Evolved from chatbot to personalized agent that can take actions like unlocking credit scoresBusiness Assistant: Democratizes data science, enabling rapid model development through natural languageReal-time capabilities: Shifted from batch to real-time fraud detectionAI-Powered Fraud ThreatsFraudster empowerment: Bad actors adopting AI faster than security measuresDeep fake risks: Sophisticated impersonation for identity theft and account takeoverAgent authentication: Challenge distinguishing legitimate vs. fraudulent AI agentsIndustry urgency: Can't wait for regulation; must develop solutions proactivelyKey AchievementsFast, safe adoption: Chose innovation over waiting, with proper security guardrailsProduct success: Launched consumer EVA and business AI assistantsIndustry leadership: Staying ahead of evolving fraud landscapeAdvice for OrganizationsEstablish Risk Council: Cross-functional leadership team for AI governanceDefine values first: Determine organizational risk tolerance before technical implementationSupport curiosity safely: Enable experimentation within secure boundariesDon't wait: Move quickly but responsibly - the technology won't slow downKey Quote"If you set up the infrastructure right, then you can let them hack away. You can let people be very curious."Participants: Maribel Lopez (Host), Kathleen (CIO, Experian)Focus: #AI #FraudDetection #GenerativeAI #AgenticAI #FinancialServices #SecurityKathleen Peters Chief Innovation Officer NA Fraud, Innovation & Commercialization Kathleen Peters leads innovation and strategy for Experian’s Fraud and Identity business in North America, continuously exploring new ways to solve market challenges in identity, risk, and fraud detection. She and her team define business strategies and investment priorities while incubating new products, analyzing industry trends and leveraging the latest technologies to bring ideas to life. Kathleen joined Experian in 2013 to lead business development and global product management for Experian’s newest fraud products. She later served as the Head of the North America Fraud & Identity business, until being named Chief Innovation Officer for Decision Analytics in 2020. Kathleen has twice been named a “Top 100 Influencer in Identity” by One World Identity (now Liminal), an exclusive list that annually recognizes influencers and leaders from across the globe, showcasing a who’s who of people to know in the identity space.For nearly two decades, she has lived in

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